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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to training requirements applicable to members of the |
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governing board of a public institution of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.084, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) and Subsection |
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(h) to read as follows: |
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(a) The board by rule shall establish a training program for |
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members of the governing boards of institutions of higher |
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education. Each member of a governing board of an institution of |
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higher education shall attend, during the member's first year [two
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years] of service as a member of a governing board of an institution |
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of higher education, at least one training program under this |
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section. A member of a governing board who is required to attend a |
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training program under this section may attend additional training |
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programs under this section. |
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(a-1) The board's rules must require a governing board |
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member as part of the training program to attend any available |
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training course sponsored or coordinated by the office of the |
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governor with a curriculum designed for training newly appointed |
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state officers, board members, or high-level executive officials. |
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The rules must require the member to attend the course the first |
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time the course is offered following the date the member takes the |
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oath of office, regardless of whether that attendance is required |
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under other law. The rules may provide a governing board member |
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additional time to attend the course if the member for good cause is |
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unable to attend the course the first time the course is offered. |
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Subsection (g) does not apply to the course required by this |
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subsection. |
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(h) The board is responsible for documenting completion of |
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the requirements in this Section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0841, Education Code, is added to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0841. INTENSE SHORT COURSE. (a) The board shall |
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develop an intense short orientation course that a governing board |
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member must complete before they vote at a meeting of the governing |
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board. The course can be a written document, an online interactive |
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course, or taken in a one-to-one or group setting. |
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(b) The content of the instruction provided by the course |
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shall include: |
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(1) best practices relating to excellence, |
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transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the governing |
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structure and organization of state university and state university |
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systems; |
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(2) best practices relating to the manner in which |
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governing boards and administrators of state universities and state |
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university systems develop and implement major policy decisions, |
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including impartiality and adequacy of their processes; |
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(3) matters relating to excellence, transparency, |
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accountability, and efficiency in the governance and |
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administration of the state's universities and university systems; |
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and |
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(4) ethics, conflicts of interests, and the proper |
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role of a board member in the governance structure of state |
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universities and university systems. |
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(c) The board is responsible for documenting completion of |
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the requirements of this Section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |